Brace means for folding table legs



July 30, 1957 E. V. MENDENHALL V BRACE MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Filed Nov. 21, 1955 2 SheetS Sheet 1 INVENTOR. fL BERT MA/raN/YENDE/v/MLL July 30, 1957 E. v. MENDENHALL 2,801,143

BRACE MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l-a 78 60 78 70 I/' /B I Filed NOV. 21, 1 955 a r .H mm w a 2 mm w W T I N A 0 Patented July 30, 1957 BRACE MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Elbert V. Mendenhall, Alhambra, Caiif.

Application November 21, 1955, Serial No. 548,4)

14 Claims. (Cl. 31198) This invention relates to tables and the like having foldable legs and is directed to means for bracing and immobilizing the legs in their unfolded or effective positions.

Broadly described, the invention provides a brace member and an associated latch mechanism to releasably interconnect a table top means and a foldable leg means, the brace member being pivotally mounted on one of these two means, and the latch mechanism being mounted on the other of the two means. The latch mechanism comprises a hook element for engagement with the brace member, together with a cooperating yielding element to removably block withdrawal of the brace element from engagement with the hook element. A feature of the preferred practice of the invention is that the yieldable blocking element is so positioned in the path of movement of the brace member that movement of the brace member into engagement with the hook element results automatically in the desired latching action.

The preferred practice of the invention is further characterized by the use of a V-shaped brace member which may be in the form of a suitably bent metal rod. The apex of the V-shaped rod is engaged by the latch mechanism and the ends of the divergent arms of the V-shaped rod are bent coaxially to form trunnions by means of which the V-shaped brace member is pivotally mounted for its purpose. Thus, the brace member has two widely spaced coaxial pivot points and a third latching point, the three points forming a triangle with an appropriately wide base for effective stabilization in the immobilization of the leg means.

One embodiment of the invention is a card table having four foldable legs. Four corresponding V-shaped brace members are pivotally mounted on the underside of the table top for releasable engagement with four corresponding latch mechanisms that are mounted on the four legs respectively.

A second embodiment of the invention described herein provides a pair of legs at each end of the table that are interconnected to fold in unison and each of these pairs of interconnected legs is immobilized by a single V-shaped brace member. In this instance, the brace member for each pair of interconnected legs is pivotally mounted by its trunnions on the two legs respectively and the cooperating latch mechanism is mounted on the underside of the table top for releasable engagement with the apex of the brace member,

The various features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a card table embodying one form of the invention, the V-shaped brace member being shown in its latched position for bracing and immobilizing the corresponding leg of the table;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the upside down table as viewed along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 4 of Fig. 3 showing a journaled trunnion of the brace member;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 showing the construction of the latch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated by the line 6-6 of Pig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the invention showing one of the pair of interconnected legs folded and the other pair of interconnected legs extended;

Fig. 8 is a section taken as indicated by the line 8-8 in Fig. 7 showing the pair of legs that are extended;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale taken as indicated by the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing the brace member engaged by the latch mechanism;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of Fig. 7 showing the pair of legs that is folded against the underside of the table top; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view shown partly in section along the line 11-11 of Fig. 7.

Figs. 1 to 6 show a card table having a table top 20 and four side rails 22 that form a rectangular reinforcement frame on the underside of the table top. In the construction shown, the four side rails 22 are interconnected and reinforced at the corners of the table by angular sheet metal reinforcements 24 which are secured in the usual manner by suitable screws (not shown).

A leg 25 is pivotally mounted at each corner of the table in a well known manner to swing between an extended or effective position, shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and a retracted or folded position, shown in solid lines in Fig. 3. For this purpose, an angular bracket clip 26 is mounted on each of the angular sheet metal reinforcements 24 by a pair of screws 23 that extend into the Wood of the adjacent side rail 22 through corresponding apertures in the sheet metal reinforcement. The leg 25 may be mounted on this metal corner assembly by suitable pivot means such as a screw, bolt, stud, pin or the like. In this instance, the pivot means comprises a long wood screw 30 that extends through a corresponding aperture in the angular bracket clip 2e, and also extends through a corresponding aperture in the angular reinforcement, the screw being threaded into the adjacent side rail.

The present invention comprises a brace member that is generally designated by the letter B and a cooperating latch mechanism that is generally designated by the letter L.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the brace member B is a metal rod bent to a V-configuration to provide a central apex portion 32, best shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and two divergent brace arms 34. The outer ends of the two brace arms 34 are bent outward to form coaxial trunnion portions 35 by means of which the brace member may be pivotally mounted on the underside of the table top 20.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the trunnion portions 35 of each of the brace members B are journaled in the apertured ears 36 of a pair of sheet metal brackets 38. Each of the sheet metal brackets 33 may comprise a metal strap mounted on the inner side of the corresponding side rail 22 by a pair of screws 40, one end of the strap being bent to an angle of approximately 45 degrees to form the apertured ear 36. It will be noted that each of the sheet metal brackets 38 is positioned close to the undersurface of the table top 20 to permit the brace member B to lie nearly fiat against the underside of the table top, as indicated in Fig. 3 and as shown V in broken lines in 1. It will also be noted in Fig. 3 that-the folded leg 25 is substantially parallel with the table top 20, the folded leg lying against the folded brace member B toconfine the brace member against the underside of the table top.

It is apparent that this arrangement permits the brace member B to swing from its folded position to its effective position, the effective position for bracing the leg 25 being shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 2. It is further apparent that the apex portion 32 of the brace member B extends laterally of the plane of rotation of the brace member and it is this portion of the brace member that is releasably engaged by the latched mechanism L.

. As best shown in Fig. 5, the latch. mechanism L comprises a hook element 42 for engagement by the apex portion 32 of the brace member B and a yieldable element 44 that removably blocks withdrawal of the apex portion out of engagement with the hook element. This yieldable element 44.is in theform of a retractable blocking plunger. 7

In the construction shown, each of the legs is cut away' as shown at 45 in Figs. 2 and 5, to provide a face on the leg perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the brace member V, the latch mechanism L being mounted on this face. A metal plate 46 is mounted on the leg 20 by suitable screws 48 and this metal plate is lanced to provide a metal tongue that is bent outward to form the hook element 42. The metal plate 46 has an aperture 5i) (Fig. 5) through which the yieldable element or blocking plunger 44. extends and the blocking plunger is mounted in a recess or blind bore 52 in the leg 25 under the metal plate. In the construction shown, theblocking plunger 44 has a circumferential flange 54 which forms a shoulder for normally abutting the inner surface of the metal .plate 46. A suitable coil spring 55 surrounds the blocking plunger 44 in compression between the circumferential flange 54 and the inner end of the blind bore 52' to provide a yielding force for normally holding the blocking plunger in the extended position shown in Fig. 5. The manner in which the .hook element 42 and the blocking plunger 44 cooperate to releasably latch the brace member B may beunderstood from an inspection of Fig. 5. It can be seen that the apex portion 32 of the brace member B rests in the curved seat formed by the hook and that the blocking plunger '44 blocks retraction of the trunnion portion from this seat since the distance from the outer end of the hook element 42 to the portion of the brace member.

It will be noted that the blocking plunger 44 is guided I in a fixed path that intersects the arcuate path of the apex portion 32 of the brace member B so that any.:force that tends to swing the apex portion 32 of the brace member out of its seat on the hook element 42 results in lateral thrust against the blocking plunger as distinguished from thrust endwise of the plunger. Thus, any tendency for the-brace member B to swing out of engagement with the hook element 22 merely results in a lateral binding action on the blocking plunger 44 that freezes the plunger in its normally effective position. In this instance, as can be seen in Fig. 5, the angle between the fixed path of the'plunger and the arcuate path isof. a magnitude on the order of 45 degrees. f

, Afeature of this embodiment of the invention is that the blocking plunger 44 extends into the pathalong which the apexportion 32 of the brace member B moves into engagement with the hook element 42 so that .the brace member B is automatically latched wheneverit is moved into ,the hook element; .42. Preferably, the nose of the plunger 44 is rounded asrshown to facilitate this action. Thus, when the apex portion 32 of the brace. member is swung into'seating engagement with thehook element 42, the apex portion moves against the'nose of the ex tended plunger 44 to force the plunger. inwardagainst the resistance of the coil .springSS; and, whenthe. apex 4 portion 32 reaches its seated position, the plunger is snapped back to its normal position by the coil spring to block withdrawal of the brace member.

The manner in which the invention serves its purpose may be readily understood from the foregoing description. When the table is folded, the four legs 25 lie inside a rectangular frame formed by the four side rails 22 and the legs hold the four brace members B in folded position against the underside of the table top 20. It isa simple matter to swing the folded legs out to their extended.

positions and then to swing" the four brace members B from their folded positions to their positions in engagement with the hook element 42 of the four latched mechanisms L. As heretofore explained, merely forcing the brace members into engagement with the hook elements results in automatic latch action by the blocking plungers 44. If desired, however, the blocking plungers 44 may be manually depressed by finger'pressure to clear the way for. movement of the brace member into" their seated positions in the books 42.

The legs may be quickly folded whenever desired; Only relatively light finger pressure is required to retract the blocking plungers 44 to permit the brace members B to be disengaged from the hook elements 42.

It is apparent that the invention provides a simple, inexpensive structure that can be assembled at relatively low labor cost. It can be seen in Fig. 5 that the blocking plunger 44 cooperates with the hook'element'42 to engage the brace member ina snugmanner. If necessary, it is a simple matter to bend the hook element 42 by a light hammer blow for the elimination of any looseness Whatsoever in the engagement of the latch mechanism with the brace member.

7 The second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figs. 7 to 11, comprises a table top with a pairof foldable legs 62 at each end, the legs of each pair being In the coning member 66 that is attached by suitable screws (not shown) to a transverse cleat 63 on the underside of the table top.

Operatively associated with each of the pairs of legs 62 is a single brace member, B, of the construction heretofore described, and a cooperating'latch mechanism L of the construction heretofore described. Thus, each of the brace members B has the usual apex portion 32 (Fig. 9), the usual pair of divergent arms 34, and the usual coaxial trunnion portions 35 (Fig. ll); and the cooperating latch 'means L comprises the usual hook element 42 in cooperation with the usual retractable blocking plunger 44. The rest of the latch mechanism is of the previously described construction, as indicated by the use of corresponding numerals to designate corresponding parts.

The latch mechanism L for cooperation with a brace member B is mounted on the'underside of a cleat 70 that is, in turn, mounted on the underside of the table top 60 by suitable screws 72 (Fig. 9). The brace member B is journaled by means of the trunnions 35 in the two legs 62 respectively. In the present construction, each of the two interconnected legs 62 has a peripheral bore 74 to journal the corresponding trunnion 35, as shown in Fig. 11.

The manner in which the second embodiment of the invention functions for its purpose may be readily understood from the foregoing description. It is apparent that a pair of legs may be folded against the bottom of the table top 60, as shown at the right in Fig. 7, andmay be immobilized in their extended positions by the corresponding brace member B, as shown in Fig. 8 and at the left in Fig. 7.

Preferably, a detent means in the form of a spring finger 75 is provided to hold each pair of interconnected legs 62 in their folded positions in the manner indicated by Fig. 10. The spring finger 75 is mounted by suitable screws 76 on a cleat 73 on the underside of the table top 69.

A feature of the construction shown in the drawings is that the apex portion 32 of the brace member B overlies the midpoint of the member 64 that interconnects the two legs 62, the member 64 being bowed for this purpose. Thus, when the spring finger 75 releasably engages the interconnecting member 64 of a pair of legs 62, the brace member B is confined in folded position between the interconnecting member 64 and the cleat 78.

My description in detail of selected embodiments of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my disclosure that properly lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a folding table having a table top means and a foldable leg means pivotally mounted thereon, the combination therewith of: a brace member pivotally connected to one of said two means to swing in an arc, said brace member having a portion at its swinging end extending laterally of its plane of rotation; a fixed hook element on the other of said two means in the arcuate path of said portion of the brace member to receive and seat said portion; and a blocking element on said other of the two means movable along a fixed path intersecting said arcuate path from a retracted position on the outer side of the curvature of the arcuate path to a normal position blocking withdrawal of said portion from said hook element, said blocking element being yieldingly biased to its normal blocking position and being manually retractable from its normal position, said fixed path being at a substantial angle relative to said arcuate path to make said blocking element non-responsive to force exerted by said brace member when the brace member is seated in said hook element.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which the angle between said two paths is of the order of magnitude of 45 degrees.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which said brace member is pivotally connected to the underside of said table top; and in which said hook element and said blocking element are on said foldable leg means.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which said brace member is a V-shaped member having an apex portion and two divergent arms, the ends of said arms being bent to form coaxial trunnions; and which includes a pair of spaced coaxial bearings on one of said two means journaling said trunnions to pivotally mount said brace member thereon.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which the outer end of said blocking element is normally positioned in the path of swinging movement of said brace portion to yield by cam action to the movement of the brace portion into engagement with said hook element, and then to return to its normal position for blocking withdrawal of said portion from the hook element.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 1, in which said blocking element comprises a plunger retractably mounted in a recess in said other means of the two means for movement between a normal outer effective position and an inner release position; and which includes spring means in said recess urging said blocking element means to its normal outer efiective position.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6, which includes a plate mounted across said recess, said plate being apertured to clear said blocking element, said blocking element having a stop shoulder for engagement with the inner side of said plate to limit the outward movement of the blocking element at its normal outer position.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7, in which said hook element is a bent tongue integral with said plate.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 4, in which said blocking element comprises a spring-pressed plunger positioned for contact of the side of the plunger with said apex portion when said apex portion is in engagement with said hook element.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9, in which the outer end of said blocking plunger normally extends into the path of movement of said apex portion of the brace member whereby movement of said apex portion into engagement with said hook element results first in retraction of the plunger by cam action and then return of the plunger to its normal position to block withdrawal of said apex portion from the hook element.

11. In a folding table having a table top and a pair of interconnected legs pivotally mounted at each end of the table top to swing in unison between folded and unfolded positions, the combination therewith of: a V-shaped brace member for each of said pair of interconnected legs, each of said brace members having a central apex portion and two divergent arms, the ends of said arms being bent to form a pair of spaced coaxial trunnions, said trunnions being journaled on the two legs respectively of the interconnected pair of legs at intermediate points thereof for movement of said apex portion in an arcuate path; a fixed hook element on the underside of said table top to receive and seat said apex portion; and a blocking element on the underside of said table top movable along a fixed path intersecting said arcuate path from a retracted position on the outer side of the curvature of the arcuate path to a normal position blocking withdrawal of said apex portion from said hook element, said blocking element being yieldingly biased to its normal blocking position and being manually retractable from its normal position, said fixed path being at a substantial angle relative to said arcuate path to make said blocking element nonresponsive to force exerted by said apex portion when the apex portion is seated in said hook element.

12. A combination as set forth in claim 11, in which the two legs of each pair of legs are interconnected by a transverse member, and in which said apex portion of the brace member folds against said transverse member when the pair of legs is folded whereby the folded pair of interconnected legs maintains the brace member in folded position.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12, which includes detent means to releasably retain each of said pairs of interconnected members in its folded position.

14. A combination as set forth in claim 13, in which said detent means releasably engages said interconnecting member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,726 White Jan. 17, 1888 510,232 Bassett Dec. 5, 1893 1,368,666 Techmer Feb. 15, 1921 1,763,671 Rastetter June 17, 1930 1,869,693 Hourd Aug. 2, 1932 2,450,353 Puls et al Sept. 28, 1948 2,529,940 Higley Nov. 14, 1950 2,666,673 Hughes Jan. 19, 1954 

